


Heart of Hush: Truth Revealed

by Nobodythehope



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Catwoman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Batman did WHAT!!!!!, F/M, Is it the dark multiverse?, Justice League did WHAT????, Mind Alterations, Mind Alterations undone, Revenge, Wait Catwoman did WHAT!!!!, Wait the Joker quit????
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29247942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nobodythehope/pseuds/Nobodythehope
Summary: During his third battle with Hush, something changed in Bruce's mind become more clear operating faster than it had since before His first fight with Bane. Batman ends up battling his old friend As Bruce Wayne instead of  Batman. Now In critical condition, Bruce Wayne is on the way to Gotham General... where things will come into the light that will For better or worse change History...one thing is for sure...The Batfamily is royally pissed off...even Alfred.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Helena Bertinelli/Jason Todd, John Constantine/Zatanna Zatara, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Comments: 11
Kudos: 11





	1. What is Going On

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been in my head since I read Heart of hush a few months ago and I finally finished chapter one.

March 10th…Batman

I glared at the man who was at one point my best and only friend as he shot my father and found the cave, he sheathed one of his guns and pulled something from his pocket, I freeze at what I see. It is a Wayne tech radio detonator with a 100-mile range that would easily reach from the manner to the other side of Gotham with 75 miles extra. More than powerful enough to get through the rock of the cave. This was not something to be used to damage the cave or manner, no those were prizes for Hush, this was a threat to the only woman I have ever truly love with all my heart. With Gotham’s traffic, it will take another twenty-five minutes for Mr. terrific to get Selina’s heart to Gotham General and another hour for it to warm up enough to be transplanted back into her body.

“I figured you would get loose before I could get here and would come directly back to the cave. So, I created an insurance policy to make sure you will lay down and die for me to save your gutter-slut bitch. I press this button her heart goes boom and so does the machine keeping her alive, if the signal is lost, they go boom. So, Batman, you are now going to lay down your life for that gutter slut piece of trash you love.” Hush says with a cruel smile on his face, a face that is a great copy of my own. a copy so good only those few who truly knew me would be able to tell the difference.

That is when something… shifts in my mind as if a limiter on my thought process was released and my thoughts speed up. The light headache I have been suffering from for years also just magically disappears. I make a plan in seconds and almost instantly refined it to perfection in my head; I have not been able to formulate a plan this quickly since before Bane, not sense the league wiped ten minutes of my life from my mind, and my gut gets that cold feeling, the feeling I cant deal with as Selina and my son's lives are in danger.

A thought based on Sun Tzu flashes through my head: if the enemy expects you to be somewhere do not be there. Hush wanted to see the cave… however, Batman was not who Hush wanted to kill and not who Hush truly wanted to be.

Bruce, A few days ago…

Dressed in just a pair of black sweatpants I found myself with a rare moment of free time and as always, I find myself paging through the file, her file meant for quicker reference than the computer, this was the file of the only woman I have ever and will ever love, the woman whose head was messed with by my ‘friends’ as was my own. My mind was messed with to make me forget what they did to the first Doctor Light her mind was messed with to help her down the road to redemption faster. I never told her they did the same to me, and I do not understand why I did not tell her, and I will forever regret it.

It’s also why I can never blame her for killing Black Mask when she did. We were both in a horrible place three years ago, the day she killed Black Mask I was far from Gotham holding a gun to the head of Alexander Luther Jr. of Earth-Three’s ready to blow it off. I had Wonder Woman there to talk me down, Selina, Selina had no one to do the same, because I was far from Gotham, far from her ready to blow the head off a Luther. I only had ten minutes of my life removed and I never felt such betrayal as that. It was likely worse than when the league found out about my capture protocols for if a member of the League should be compromised.

Protocols Dick and J’onn had to talk me down from adapting for lethal use the day I learned what the League did to Selina and I instead built Brother Eye to keep an eye on every metahuman on Earth. So why did I leave with Dick and Tim, instead of helping the woman I love, why did I not invite her to come along or just stay and comfort her as I know that is what I would have done…why did I rejoin the League.

As always, the headache I have had for years intensifies when my mind turns to her in these my most private moments with my most private thoughts. With the exemption of when we finally got together for a time four years ago and then were off and on for another, these headaches have always been my constant companion… however, something never fit right with the events in my memory, however again, the headache gets worse.

However, this time on accident, I uncovered something can’t recall ever seeing in her file. A hidden picture near the back of the file, seeing the picture my headache intensifies again, normally I would close the book when my headache gets this bad and move on to other things, as I have been doing for the last three years since I learned what my ‘friends’ had done to us. However, tonight I had an encounter with Selina, something that had not happened since she gave up her daughter for adoption and an encounter with her always bolstered my already impressive willpower, I forced myself through the constantly intensifying pain, I bight back the scream that wants to bloom from the throat, not giving my enemy the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

As blood began to trickle from my left nostril and then my left eye as I continued on I know in my heart that I **need** to see the picture. The picture of myself in a tux, Selina gorgeous in a white wedding dress with black silk lace attachments and we are leaving Gotham Cathedral are friends and ‘friends’ surrounding us some with smiles others with frowns.

I turned the picture over and there in Alfred’s neat handwriting: The newly married Mr. and Mrs. Wayne and a date. A Date that was set during the year-long trip I took with Dick and Tim, exactly two years, eight months, and three weeks before Selina’s daughter was born. Helena who had been born a week early…why, why these dates and numbers are important I do not know, as I am now unable to think from the pain rampaging in my head, I quickly put the picture where I can’t see most of it, yet keeping it where I can grab it quickly. The effort takes to close the file almost caused me to pass out, and I fall to a knee panting, sweat soaking my body as I fight to stay conscious as blood is now gushing from my left eye socket, left nostril, and left ear canal.

The pain abates slightly with the file closed and abates more as I empty my mind, I grab a few towels and use them to clean up the surprising amount of blood that spilled from my body in the short time it took me to see the photo, I throw it in the caves incinerator before quietly slipping up the stairs well picking up the file as I go by it I need to take a second shower. I set the file on my bed as I make my way into the bathroom. As I turn on the shower, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and stare in shock. I was bleeding only from the left side of my head, and I recall that in Latin the word for left is sinister.

I now know that whatever has been causing my headaches is not natural, and my mental shields are too strong for psychics to implant false memories into my head, so whatever has been done to me had to be ether technological which would take months or…I do not want to finish that thought as it implicates an old and dear friend, something I have had only a handful of and only a few of them are left these days. I quickly finished with my second shower and I pull on a clean pair of boxers, sweats, and a t-shirt over my scared body.

Well, the cave is always naturally warm thanks to its depth, the rest of Gotham is still quite cold in March. I fill a glass of water then open the mirror and pull out a bottle of extra-strength Tylenol and pop two swallowing them as I down the glass of water, still really thirsty I down two more full glasses. Setting the glass to the side I make my way to my bed and sit down.

I pull open my nightstand and pop open the hidden compartment on the bottom and remove the charm I had stored in it. I had John Constantine acquire this item me it for me. the charm is called The Charm of Soulmates, blessed by Aphrodite this small 5-ounce bronze coin is a magic charm that will undo the artificial manipulation of the minds of a pair of soulmates, should they grasp it as lovers hold hands and will forever prevent their minds from being altered again. There has always been something that drew me to Selina Kyle since we met on the street, fourteen years, eleven months, and 27 days ago.

Selina… in the weakest of the most private of my most private of thoughts, I indulged myself with the romantic notion that The two of us are soulmates, it has always been something I can only allow to be a passing fancy over the years, yet here I hold something that would confirm or remove that idea…yet could also prove a great betrayal to us by those who are supposed to be the ‘good guys’. Yet she was safer without me and my enemies, yet the old excuse rings hollower than it ever has. Selina has enemies just as ruthless as my own, hell some of her enemies are my enemies. Yet almost all the members of the Justice League have someone they love in their lives and have successfully protected, and they do not have the same training Selina does. So why am I not with her. Because you’re dating someone, my mind supplies.

Sure, I am dating Jezebel Jet who was a beautiful, kind woman who…who… is just not Selina Kyle, I always ended up comparing every woman I dated her, even Talia the mother of my son, did not measure up to Selina when the woman had been hiding her true nature as an egomaniacal sociopath, had fallen short in my eyes. Which again was odd as when he was together with Talia, he had not spent much time with Selina outside of chasing her as Batman as he did not even know Selina was Catwoman at that time…did he? The exception had been the street fight he got into with her. The pain in my head started intensifying again confirming something was off. I carefully pulled the picture from the file, slipped it into an envelope with the charm, and put it into the hidden compartment in my nightstand where I kept the charm.

I then pick up my phone and send a text to Jezebel Jet, breaking up with her, I had been considering sharing that I am batman with her, and I am glad I have yet to do so… something, something was wrong with my mind, I needed to figure out what it was and who messed with it. Right now, Jet is either in danger or she is a suspect either way it’s was better to end it with her in a way that will piss her off enough to stay away. Then I turned out the light and went to sleep.

March 10…

“Tommy, Tommy, Tommy… oh wait forgive me you go by Hush now. Well, Hush, you do not want to kill Batman, do you? I am Batman right now and killing Batman would not be satisfying to you.” Batman says suppressing a smile as he stares at the man who had removed the heart of the only woman, he had ever truly loved as both sides of himself, as Batman and Bruce Wayne.

“Of course, I want to kill you, Batman,” Hush says confused as he spits the name out with venom.

“No, no, no, Hush, you want to kill Bruce Wayne, you want to become Bruce Wayne, not the symbol that is Batman,” Batman says face forced blank; he could tell by Hush’s body language that this man was already hooked.

“I’ll make a deal with you give Alfred the detonator and I will change out of my stage wear and into my sleepwear, Dick and Alfred will bring Tim to Barbara’s home for the night, you can surprise me in my bedroom without interruptions, you kill me you can dress me up in your clothing and bandage my face then you will truly be able to become Bruce Wayne. Who goes to Gotham General to get his injuries checked out after calling the police, after all, you are the man who can attack from a distance, not me you’re going to win this fight right?” Batman continues turning his back on Tommy he heads for his armory removing the cowl as he does, he knows he is not in danger as Tommy has already agreed.

“Alfred. Whichever ‘Bruce’ goes to Gotham General will be the ‘real’ Bruce Wayne.” Batman says as he reaches the armory.

“I am sure you remember how to get in, I will see you in the master bedroom Hush,” Batman says as he enters the armory. Alfred approaches Hush and Dick and Tim are ready to intervene when the Rouge tries to shoot Bruce in the back as there was no way Hush would take the deal. To their shock, Hush hands Alfred the detonator and leaves the cave.

Five minutes later…

“Alfred dragged Tim to the Rolls, So, what’s the strategy here B?” Dick asks having thrown on civilian clothing over his costume as Bruce steps from the armory wearing a long black robe.

“I am going to take a shower then Bruce Wayne will be attacked by the Rouge known Hush in his bedroom, he will then call the cops and for an ambulance so he can go to Gotham General to get medical attention for his injuries well Hush is either arrested or tagged and bagged. The Batcomputer has always been programmed to send false medical reports about how I ‘got’ all my scars to the hospital. Give this to Alfred for me, I am going to take a shower in my room. Leave Dick, he hurt Selina, he shot Alfred, unlike with what happened with Babs or Jason, even when Selina’s heart is put back into her body there is still a significant risk to her life until she heals. There is still the risk to the family's lives. It’s worse than when I had to stop you from coming with me to apprehend the Joker after Babs, worse than when Superman had to stop me, worse than when Wonder Woman had to talk me down… it's **well beyond personal** now, Dick stays with the woman you love tonight. You will know who won when the news breaks. Please, Son… do not make me use this on you.” Bruce says and for a change he lets his emotions show in his body language and tone of voice.

Bruce then hands Dick a large golden envelope and shows the younger man the injector. Dick is one of the best fighters on the planet able to stand to toe with Batman yet, he knew Bruce did not need to use the injector to knock him out, and likely had several methods on him to accomplish this task and he would end up knocked out if Bruce wanted him out.

“Well Dad, I will not make you use it, just know that I love you, even when we were fighting, I still loved you,” Dick says as he walks in front of his father, he did not want Bruce to see his tears, he had to admit to himself he did not think Bruce could beat Hush, Batman could thank the armor, but Bruce Wayne could not. Bruce seems to have lost a step since Bane and that step is enough to get Bruce killed tonight. Standing at a crossroads Bruce pulled his eldest son into a hug and Dick barely holds back his tears as he returns the hug not realizing Bruce slipped something into his jacket pocket.

“See you in the hospital dad,” Dick says with his best fake smile as he heads to the garage.

The trip to the clock tower was the single longest moment of Dicks life, he chose to sit in the back of the Rolls Royce as he wanted to be alone for the time. About five minutes into the drive, he felt something hard in his jacket pocket. Something that was **not** there when he put his coat on. He reached his jacket pocket and pulled out a velvet box. Pulling out the small flashlight he always kept on him, he flips the lid and dropped the box.

Dick knew the ring that was in the box, however, the ring had been missing since his parent’s death. In the box is his mother’s engagement ring. He saw that a piece of folded paper fell out of the box when it hit the ground. With reverent care, Dick picked the box up and was happy glad to see the ring did not fall out. So, he shuts the box and puts it back in his jacket pocket. He then picks up the piece of paper and unfolds it.

‘Dear Old Chum

March 1st 2XXX

I never gave up looking for this and found it four years ago and have been trying to find the right time to give it to you. I am writing you this letter in case something happens to me before I get the chance to give this to you in person. As you put it ‘I am extremely emotionally constipated jackass’ and so in case I do not work up the nerve to tell you these things in person I am going to do it here.

I spent 11 years looking for this ring and finally found it the day I told Selina Kyle I was Batman. Finally finding your mother's ring, then your words of encouragement are what allowed me to take the chance and reveal my identity to her. Well, the Hush incident caused me to drive a wedge between our developing relationship, and despite the year, we spent off and on those were some of the happiest times in my life since my parents died. However, the thing I honestly regret the most is abandoning her when she needed my support the most to spend a year training with you and Tim, my actions driving her into the arms of another man. However, do not regret spending that time with you two, I loved every moment of that trip, I enjoyed reconnecting with you and connecting better with Tim. However, Old Chum in these last two years I have seen that you and Barbara put your relationship on the backburner to focus on the ‘greater good” and I am telling you to…stop doing that life is too short especially given the lives we live.

Recently I realized I could be happy with Selina, and despite everything I put her through with my rampant paranoia, she would get back together with me in a heartbeat if I asked her to marry me tomorrow. Yet Old Chum well I know that I am making a mistake I am not going to ask her as I feel I do not deserve to be happy after what I did to her and despite keeping up my playboy routine, I know I will never and can never love another woman the way I love Selina. I just hope one day she finds happiness in the arms of another person. However, I do not want to you keep making the same mistake I am willingly making. I see the way you have always looked at Barbara and how she has always looked at you. I know that longing looks I well as I wear it every time, I see Selina, every time I hear her name or the name Catwoman.

Well, I would be proud to pass the mantle of the bat to you and I would be honored beyond anything you will ever know if you were to take up the mantle one day be it in the event of my passing, or I somehow live long enough to retire. However, what will really make me proud of you is if you accomplish what I can’t, being happy well continuing to live the crazy life we live. Ask Barbara again and this time, do not put it off, come Joker or alien invasion, if you two have not gotten married yet on the day you read this go get married to the woman you love Dick, you two can have a larger ceremony later. Again Life is too short to wait.

Well, I likely will never be able to tell you in person I want you to know I view you as being as much my son as you are the son of John and Mary Grayson. I will always and forever be proud of you. If I am gone I hope you will do me a favor, help Damian truly become a man worthy of the Wayne name, instead of what his mother feels a Wayne should be.

Your loving father.

Bruce Thomas Wayne.’

Dick cried as he read the words his father wrote yet was confused by the words. Bruce and Selina did break up for a short time five years ago due to the first Hush case, yet they got married three years ago, sure they have separated for almost two years now after a bad scare involving their daughter Helena, who was now being watched by trusted friends, yet they still visited there two-year-old daughter every chance they get. They had also have been acting weird for those two years, except for those times they are together with Helena.

It’s almost like except when with their daughter, the two do not know they are married. Twenty minutes had gone by as Dick tried to sort out his confusion. That is when the ambulance sped past them and Dick's heart broke as he knew the fight was over and his father was dead. Fresh tears came to Dick’s eyes as he listened to the siren fade into the distance.

Lost in thought Dick did not even notice that Alfred pulled over so he could send out five saved emails, one to Barbara Gordan, one to Stephine Brown, one to Cassandra Cane, one to Jason Todd, and one to Damián who was away studying at a monastery that helped Bruce turn from a path of vengeance to a path of vengeance threw justice. He reaches into the envelope dick gave him and pulls out a letter for Tim. In the envelope were letters for all Bruce’s children, even if Stephine and Barbara were not yet a part of the family Bruce already considered them his daughters to be.

“We will be stopping at a post box so I can send a letter out before we get to the clocktower,” Alfred says his face unreadable. He knew tonight ether Bruce Wayne, or the current Batman died after he saw the look on hi on his son's face he knew Bruce would not let Tommy escape would not let the man be a threat anymore. He would read his own letter once he got to the Clock Tower. He would wait to see if master Wayne once again told Death, not today before he gives Mrs. Wayne her letter. Tim opened the envelope with his name on it and pulled out his letter.

‘March 1st 2XXX

Hello Buddy,

I am writing this letter in case something should happen to me; I have a few things I need you to know. First off, I need to say that well I originally treated you as just an employee after Jason died and you forced your way into my life, it did not take me long to view you as another of my sons. I may not have shown it enough but I love you as a father loves his son, you are not a replacement, you are my son, just as much as Dick, Jason, and Damián are my sons and Cassandra is my daughter. 

Son life is too short so stop being stubborn and get back together and say with Stephine Brown. You two bicker the same way Dick and Barbara do, and the same way Selina and I did. You two deeply love and care about each other, you both keep breaking up with people you date after a short time due to some stupid reason, and as of March 1st are not dating anyone. My biggest regret is not staying with Selina, which is something I chose not to do, as I feel I do not deserve to be happy Tim; however, Tim you out of everyone in the family deserve to be happy, despite your constant (and somewhat annoying) bickering you are most happy when you’re with Stephine and she is at her happiest with you.

I am hoping Dick will be the one to take the mantle from me for now, as I would rather you continue to live something of a normal life for a while longer, at least until you have graduated high school and preferably you will graduate college before taking up the mantle if you chose to, I know you do not want to but as you are you would make a great batman in a few years. It has been a pleasure working with you, in a few years you will become an even better detective than I am. Yet you are already worthy of the mantle of the bat Tim.

I know you two don’t get along but I hope you can do me a favor…if your reading this and I am gone I hope you will help guide Damián to become a man worthy of the name Wayne, worth of being batman when its time for you to give up the mantle should you take it up.

Again stop being stubborn and get back with Steph. If you are reading this because your shooping again… you are grounded for the next three days.

Your loving and proud Father

Bruce Thomas Wayne

Tim smiled as he read the letter he would take his father's advice and help guide the little demon out of the darkness his mother put him in…wait.

“What the fuck…Ya Bruce and Selina are separated but did I miss something here did they did not get a divorce did they?” A very confused Tim asks after reading the letter for the fifth time. Alfred’s phone started playing the sixties batman theme song.

“Hello, Miss Gordan Master Dick and Timothy along with myself are on our way to visit you, I have you on speaker,” Alfred says answering his phone.

“What the fuck is going on, first I hear there is a fatal shooting at Wayne manner, with Bruce in critical condition, then I get this god damn confusing yet guiding letter in my email…what the fuck? I just did a search before I called you. Bruce and Selina are still married so I figure they are just fighting something stupid…again Alfred TC Pennyworth, you know everything tell me what’s going on right now or I will program every device you use to display things and speak only in French until you tell me what you know.” Barbara Joan Gordan threatens the Englishmen in a way that would make him instantly comply as she has done it before.

“I honestly have no clue what’s going on other than Bruce has been having massive headaches when I try to push him about what’s going on with little Helena and Selina. When I pushed eather of them too hard, they began bleeding from the nose, then his eyes and ears. When I don’t I get some story that makes no sense. Ya, they were worried after the Film Freak incident, …however, they had been acting odd as Selina took Helena back to her flat instead of the manner. However, master Timothy was ill at the time, so I figure they did that to ensure Helena was safe from illness. They got into a fight that night thus Bruce returned home to let Mistress Wayne cool off. Then Mistress Wayne likely decided to wait until little Helena was older before moving her into the Manner…do this old butler a favor and gather call the rest of the family and have them meet at the clocktower.” Alfred tells miss Barbara. He is lying about what he knows and with good reason.

As Alfred was speaking, he puts things together and did not like his conclusion, fortunately, Timothy had indeed been sick, the poor boy having a respiratory virus that snowballed into pneumonia at the time. So, the parents to be rather than risk exposing the baby temporarily moved back into Selina’s flat well the boy was recovering in Alfred’s. The two had however called every day to talk to Tim and check on the boy. Right up until Selina went into labor a week early.

Alfred had realized something, the prepared nursery for Little Helena had everything inside is removed and the room had been changed back to how it was before they renovated it for the babe. Given no one but Alfred himself has set foot in the room since Bruce returned from the hospital, after little Helena’s birth, alone. The room should be ready for a baby girl, yet it was not. Something was indeed very wrong here, as there are only a handful of beings on the planet who could pull that off without Alfred knowing about it, as he had been home that night looking after Master Timothy, and the next day the room was no longer The Little Miss’s nursery. The troubling thing was most of the beings that could do this kind of job under Alfred’s nose were supposed to be Master Wayne’s friends.

These people also were the people who voted yes to alter Master Bruce’s mind to hide something years ago during the horrible business perpetrated by Doctor Light. One of them could also hear this phone conversation from the other side of the planet yet resided just across the harbor in Metropolis. Best to apologize once they got to the clocktower which has devices to ensure that man and his cousin cannot hear the conversation that the family needed to have.

To be continued


	2. Gathering at the Clocktower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bats gather at the clocktower to wait to find out if bruce survived his fight with Hush.

Clock tower…

A man and a woman are angrily approaching the living quarters of the building known as the clocktower, rebuilt after Black Mask destroyed the building a few years back it has been massively upgraded. It is the new home of Oracle and the Birds of Prey. The man is Jason Todd, the second Robin, and the current Red Hood, is a tall man who stands at six feet even, 225 pounds of muscle, with brown hair and blue eyes. The woman with him is the blue-eyed black-haired Helena Bertinelli an extremely beautiful woman of Italian descent with long black hair. She stands at five foot eleven inches tall, with large breasts and a well-shaped derriere. If you ask Helena for her weight and she will geld you have er temper matches her beauty. A schoolteacher by day at night she is the Huntress a violent vigilante.

Both were brutal vigilantes more than willing to kill when they were solo operators. However, they had gotten together as a couple about three years ago just before Bruce and Selina’s wedding. Helena as Huntress was tracking down a drug dealer who was selling to kids, Helena was having a dreadful day and she felt that breaking BOP’s rule of no killing was worth it this particular piece of shit. The reason she felt this way was because the man’s poisons had killed three of her students. So, when she found Red Hood killing the man as she set out to kill, The Huntress was upset.

So, Huntress chased after Red hood as he left leaving the scene and attacked the man. the attack derailed into an acrobatic firefight across Gotham going from the East End and into Burnside…which is where the two ran out of ammo. That’s when their battle went from firefight to fistfight. It quickly went from then from fistfight to angry sex on a roof something that has happened many times in Gotham. It also ended up giving Jason a bit of an ego boost as he learned he was a better lay and bigger than Dick “Man-slut’ Grayson.

The roof quickly changed to Helena’s shared two-bedroom apartment. Jason proved he is both a better lover and better man than Dick when he made Helena and the woman’s roommate breakfast…That breakfast led to a dinner date, the dinner date led to Helena being Jason’s date to Bruce’s wedding, next thing the two knew they were moving into a penthouse together…now Jason has a ring for the woman and has a reservation at Dino’s for next Saturday.

When Jason had shown up to Bruce's wedding in a proper suit with Helena on his arm as his plus one, everyone was worried, thinking the pair would inflame each other’s murderous rage and they were certain a joint Red Hood/Huntress killing spree was coming. However, by the end of the reception, everyone had changed their tune. It had become quite clear that the couple had a calming influence on each other. That day Helena got her first nod of approval from Batman when he learned from Jason that Helena was the reason he came to the wedding. However, the reason they were angry was the information contained in the letter Alfred emailed him greatly confused them both as it did not make sense.

The part about Bruce saying he would always love Jason as a son and was glad he had a running firefight with Helena was true but the first time he found out he was dating Helena was at the man’s god damn wedding not lunch at The Jade Dragon…and who the fuck is Jezebel Jet and why the fuck has Bruce been in the tabloids with her…why the fuck was Selina not beating his ass for it. Jason kicked the door open to Babs Appartement…he would fix it later…and take an eskrima stick to the head but it was worth it, then he fell to the floor.

“GHAAAA why the fuck did you throw one of Dicky boys Eskrima sticks at my nuts, you crazy Ginger…ya laugh it up Dicky boy how do you like it,” Jason yells still protectively clutching balls with one hand he grabs the stick Barbara threw him, turns on the taser functioning and does the same to Dick.

“GHAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE” Dick screams as his fruits are both bludgeoned and electrocuted as Jason chuckles.

Barbara Gordon Is a lovely redhead who would stand at five foot seven inches tall had she not been in a wheelchair paralyzed for the waist down by the Joker. Possessing a moderate figure, she is in great shape despite being confined to a wheelchair her long red hair falling down her back. Sassy and temperamental she is the single greatest hacker on the planet and the former Batgirl.

“You guys want some ice? Oh, hay Helena, Leslie, and hay Steph coffee?” Tim asks from the kitchen before taking a sip of black coffee from a Superman large mug. Tim Drake is a sixteen-year-old slight and skinny with a very well-toned swimmers build, he stood at five foot six inches tall and was still growing. He has black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a long black sleeve button up.

  
“Ice would be nice.” Dick moans as Jason just nods along with him.

Stephine Brown is a young girl of sixteen with long blond hair and blue eyes. She stands at five foot five inches tall, petite, and a bit stocky with a modest figure and a gymnast’s body. She is wearing a pair of purple sweatpants, purple shirt, well removing her purple jacket and hat. Then with an intense look on her face, she was a march right up to Tim. Tim just looked like a frightened puppy as he tried to figure out just what he did to anger off his on again off again girlfriend this time and was searching her for bricks. Stephine just grabbed Tim’s head pulled him down and planted a kiss right on his lips.

“Babs I am borrowing your spare bedroom. Now come on virgin wonder it’s time to become a man wonder, we are back on like donkey Kong and we are not getting off again…well… we will be getting off; however, we will not be breaking up again for some dumb reason or argument. Bruce is right life is too short, So well the old fuddy duddy’s talk we are going to be doing something fun and pleasurable, mom has me on the pill and I got a bunch of condoms from Leslie.” The force of nature that is Stephine Brown tells Tim as she dragged him from the kitchen to the spare bedroom slamming shut.

As Helena prepared a couple of bags of ice for the injured men, Barbara wheeled her chair over to the spare bedroom and stuck a gadget onto the door and wheels away. The door opens again and Stephine, now wearing Tim’s pants, marched into the kitchen, up to the full coffee pot grabs it, Tim’s mug and her favorite of Barbara’s coffee mugs marching back into the room once again slamming the door, thankfully the gadget stays on the door.

“Ok I recognize the gadget as a sound canceler and thankfully a powerful one…but…why did she march back out just to steal the coffee pot? Wait she was wearing Tims's pants…well Steph definitely wears the pants in that relationship.” Helena says as she hands the men their ice and they say thanks.

“Yes, just like every woman involved with a bat she wears the pants. Lord knows the boy does need a firm hand as every other one of the other batboys or they will just mess up and do something really stupid. As to the coffee, the little blond airheaded Bitch is as big a caffeine addict as Tim. Thankfully, I have a spare pot as I learned I needed one after Stephine did this for the seventh time…stole the coffee pot that is Tim and Steph have never occupied my spare room. Alfred you do not need to make the coffee I can do…is that Bruce’s blend of coffee?” Barbara says when she sees the old butler preparing a fresh pot.

“Yes, it is Miss Gordan, and It’s no problem, you do so much already. Since all we can do right now is wait for the hospital to confirm whether it's Thomas or Master Bruce who was taken to the hospital. Fortunately, I have documented every injury I have stitched up on Master Bruce and well obsessed Thomas would be unable to fake every one of them.” Alfred says with a frown as he prepares a fresh pot of coffee.

Barbara a born technophile whose impulses got worse after becoming Oracle had a top of the line coffee pot that would quickly make a new pot in short order without damaging the profiles of the grinds. So in about six minutes, they all had a fresh cup of Bruce’s special blend of coffee.

“So what are “The Survivors’ injuries?” Jason asks as he was not about to use a term of endearment nor Bruce unless it is the man who became his father.

“Gunshot to the left thigh, graze right shoulder, shot in the left shoulder, and to finish it off a knife to the chest, ‘The Survivor’ will be down for some time as his heart will need to be repaired. “The Fatalities’ wounds are unknown right now except for the fact that the fatal shot was under the chin threw to the top of the head.” Barbara says with a frown as the wounds of the ‘Survivor’ could have been self-inflicted.

“Hey Babs, we still have the marriage license?” Dick asks with a small smile causing everyone to look at him strangely. Jason gets up and starts fixing the door he kicked open.

“Ya I have it somewhere, it needs to be signed by a judge or minister, but I have it,” Babs says looking at the man she has loved and been dating on and off for years.

“Catch.” That is all Dick says in response as he tossed a black velvet box at Barbara.

Barbara opens the box and then slammed it shut. Her eyes were wide in shock and a small blush had formed on her cheeks. This was not the ring Dick left her before things got crazy in Blüdhaven forcing them to be off again. she had that ring still.

“Yes, Bab’s that one was my mom’s ring Bruce found it five years ago and the emotionally constipated Jackass slipped finally thought to give it to me by slipping it in my jacket. Like Steph said life is too short, Gotham general has a 24-hour Chaplin licensed for marriage. We can have a larger ceremony later; I mean come on Bruce got married before us that says way too much, Babs.” Dick says with a smile.

“Fine Dicky, we will get hitched at the hospital,” Barbara says not needing to be convinced as she opened the box and put the ring on.

“Of course, Bruce had it sized knows my ring size and made sure your mother's ring was sized right,” Babs says with a smile.

“Well…I am hungry so I will make us all something to eat,” Jason says after finishing his repair job he head over to Bab’s fridge looking to whip up a meal for his family…

‘When did I start to think of them as my family again…Helena really has been a good influence on me.’ Jason thinks as he opens the fridge door and is disgusted.

“Barbara you have nothing in the fridge but old take out…ahhhhhhhhhhhh” Jason suddenly screams as the mold growing on some of the old takeout containers lunges at him and he slams the door shut.

“Barbara…the mold in your fridge more than alive… it is angry… where are the incendiaries?” Jason says backing away from the fridge.

However, the news of the living killer fungus in Babs fridge was forgotten as Barbara’s tablet dings.

“Oh, a new report just came in…” Barbara says as she unlocks her tablet and begins reading the new report.

“…Oh my god…the fatalities height is **Six foot three inches tall**!!!!” Barbara says calmly at first however at the end she is screaming in shock.

Everyone in the room’s blood freezes as Alfred grabs his chest…Bruce Wayne is six foot two inches tall…Alfred suddenly grabs his chest.

“WHAT THE FUCK BRUCE **Blew off Hush’s head**!...Fuck Leslie help, Alfred you’re ok, stay with us. Babs do you have any Aspirin?” Jason asks as he takes the old butler’s hand in his.

“Jason I have some in my purse,” Helena says as she races to it and grabs the bottle of Bare Aspirin, and runs to Jason.

Alfred swallows two pills as Leslie approaches with her medical bag in hand. She opens it and pulls out her stethoscope and begins listening to Alfred's heart.

“I need an ambulance at The Wayne clock tower, an elderly man of about sixty is having a heart attack…five minutes out good we will meet you in the lobby,” Barbara reports into her cell, thankfully for them, the closest hospital was also Gotham General.

“Alfred do even think about saying you need not bother and you will be fine you will not you’re having a heart attack you stoic fool. Dick, get a bedsheet; we need to get Alfred down to the lobby he is in no condition to walk so you and Jason will be using the bedsheet as a makeshift stretcher.” Leslie says her body stiff, A great deal of worry can be heard in her voice and seen in her body language.

“Look Jason, Dick, Babs, you fallow the ambulance well Leslie rides with Alfred she will be able to do the most good for the man in the ambulance. I will give the two in the spare room an hour then we will meet you all at Gotham general. Anyone disagrees with this plan speak up.” Helena says, she did not know Alfred, as well as the others, being newer to fold of the Batfamily proper however, she knew her boyfriend and the rest of the family all looked up to the man as a grandfather.

“Sounds good, let’s do that,” Babs says worry and now a bit of panic evident in her voice.

Dick appears with a blue bed sheet and helps Alfred lay on it as they carry the old butler to the elevator Leslie following after them all three of them are as white as a sheet. Barbara would wait for five minutes before grabbing her keys and purse and heading to the elevator. Helena sets the timer on her phone for an hour and begins to wait. She had a spare key to Babs apartment so she would be able to lock it up for the woman.

Helena had an idea about where Babs would have the marriage license and went and found it which killed 10 minutes. With nothing else to do Helena pulls her Kindle Fire 10 from her purse and begins to wait. The vigilante jumps in the air when her phone goes off. Closing her Kindle the woman marches up to the door to the spare bedroom and begins nocking hard before she pulls the noise-canceling field generator down.

“Alfred had a heart attack an hour ago, we decided to give you two an hour before telling you so get dressed we are going to Gotham general. I will catch you two up in the car… Steph remembers you were wearing sweatpants.” Helena yells through the door.

To be continued...

Yes I am being evil in this chapter.


	3. Gathering At the Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bat family gathers at the hospital.

March 11th…

“Oh, and Selina say hi to your roommate for me.”

“What do you mean say hi to my roommate, Bruce would make sure I have a private room.” Selina's sleepy mumbles as she wakes up from a dream conversation. Selina slowly opens her breathtakingly beautiful green eyes that blinking into focus to see she Is indeed in a private room in Gotham general so why would her friend Zatanna who had Astro-projected herself into Selina's dream.

Selina Kyle is a beautiful woman standing at five foot seven inches tall, with an athletic yet petite body of a gymnast. She has reasonably large breasts, a large well-shaped butt, long shapely well-toned legs. Selina is also the heroic thief Catwoman and the only woman Bruce Wayne has ever truly loved.

“Well, I did get you a private room, however, you have to share it with me. Good morning Selina.” A deep voice like catnip for her comes from the right side of her hospital bed, whatever the hospital had her on prevented Selina from jumping.

Turning her head, Selina sees the man she loves with all her heart and soul, it was too bad they never could get together at the right time. Despite the drugs, she is on to keep her heart rate down Selina’s eyes go wide at the sight of Bruce who is laying in another hospital bed, which is close enough for Selina to take his hand if he reached out for her. Bruce looked to be in a similar condition to herself, which was saying a lot as Selina just had her heart put back into her body after Hush removed and froze it then hooked her up to a machine that kept her alive.

“What the fuck happened to you? Zatanna says hi.” Selina exclaimed; well, she could not get worked up Bruce could hear the shock and worry in her voice.

“I was shot in the left shoder…again, shot in the left thigh, grazed gunshot to the right shoulder, a knife to the chest resulting in a painful ride here and several stitches on my heart…so I am on the same stuff you are…its really good stuff,” Bruce says looking at the woman he loves with all his heart and soul before then looks away.

“I also made sure that Hush will **never** be able to hurt **you** or anyone else I care about ever again… **Bruce Wayne** killed Hush, blew his head off with his own gun after he buried his knife in my chest.” Bruce tells Selina and Selina can tell that by the sound of his voice and the way he is acting he is not lying, he does not regret it and was ashamed about his actions because he does not regret it.

Years ago Selina said to Batman that he saw things in black and white, however, she now knew that Bruce did not see the world in simple black and white, he saw the world in shades of gray, however, he saw people differently, as black and white was not complicated enough for how this man saw the world. Bruce is a non-practicing catholic turned mostly atheist however he still saw things in biblical terms.

Batman and thus bruce saw people as either innocent or sinner, then seemed to judge you on how bad your sins were. As sin could be forgiven through the act of penance, and as Batman does not kill this is how she came to understand his outlook adopted this outlook. Selina also knew that Bruce viewed them both as sinners, and both of them have done their penance to balance out their sins.

However, both had a special hatred for the ‘sinners’ who abuser children. Selina had seen Bruce go off on those who hurt children and They have pulled each other off those who hurt children before they crossed the line Selina did with Black Mask and Bruce just did with Hush.

Well, Selina is a sinner she had rules she would not cross again after Black Mask… Why did Bruce go away when she needed him so much, and was pregnant with his child? Selina had already forgiven Bruce for leaving them at the time after she learning what he went through himself at that time from Diana, However, it still hurt Selina. Then she had to give up Helena who was not just her child, but her child with Bruce, something she could and would **never** tell him as she had to give her up after film freak II had figured out who she was as that was the only way to protect their baby. Selina would never tell bruce because as it would just hurt the man who already held so much pain it hurt her, no this was **her** burden to bear.

That reminded Selina of the one time that Catwoman was unable to stop Batman from almost breaking his one rule, the rule he broke last night as Bruce Wayne. it happened four years ago, just before batman confirmed he was Batman to her. The Joker had been framed by Hush for killing Thomas Elliot well Bruce and Selina were on their first date in ten years.

Catwoman had tried to stop Batman as the Joker was not worth standing his hands with blood, and Batman knocked her out. A few weeks later After telling her who he was Bruce Wayne, he also explained why he knocked her out. Thomas Elliot had been his best friend growing up, one of the few he had back when he had his parents. He felt if The Joker could take away him, he could take her from him. that is when she realized she genuinely loved both sides of Bruce Wayne with all her heart. She reached out her hand for him to take, a few minutes of awkward silence go by.

“Thank you. You did not have to do that, but why did you phrase it the way you did? And Bat will you just take my hand already, I do not care that your dating Jezebel Jet you need comfort. I can't climb into your bed to hold you right now and you need to be held right now.” Selina says slowly reaching out her small hand which Bruce takes in his much larger one with a sad smile on his face.

“I broke up with Miss Jet a week ago. I learned someone messed with my head, I confirmed it on the 1st…” Bruce says as he and for the next twenty minutes he explains what happened in the time she was down.

“Also, I think someone manipulated not just my memories but yours as well before, you say anything, look at this picture, and I can I assure you it's not a fake.” Bruce says as he lets go of Selina’s hand and reaches into the draw, pulls out the envelope he brought with him. then he pulls out the photo he found a few days ago as he also drops the charm in his other hand.

Selina looks at the picture and the headache she has had for years begins to intensify, however, she sees bruce turning the picture around so she can the back and reads The newly married Mr. and Mrs. Wayne… despite the drugs they were on they both begin to scream in pain as their headaches go form intense lethal.

For magic is a funny thing, a chaotic thing, and despite how well worded a spell is, the spell's primary function is to make sure it carries out its function, do not let them remember the truth well on the mortal plan that was the spells primary function. The spell began to kill Bruce and Selina to prevent them from unlocking their true memories. The small coin fell from Bruce's left hand to the bed and started glowing a pale pink as if saying take me I can help.

Another side of Gotham General Hospital…Alfred’s point of view.

Alfred lay in another private suite at Gotham general, all be it far from Bruce and Selina’s shared room. He had to have several emergency Angioplasties performed last night to remove blockages in all four of the arteries of his heart, the worse was a 52% blockage, then he had a 10% blockage, a 48% blockage, and a 26% blockage. (Note I am not a doctor and just picked numbers interesting to bat-lore or DC) Had Alfred not heard the unfortunate… news of what his son had done which resulted in his heart attack, Alfred would never have known about the blockages. As his daily unseen but always done cardio regiments kept him in remarkable shape for a man of his age, the blockages would have continued to worsen and they would have eventually resulted in his death, had that unfortunate news not given him had the shock of his life last night. So the Angioplasties have extended his life expectancy.

“Your operations were a success you stoic old fool, also keep your voice, the kids fell asleep only an hour ago and the Grayson’s fell asleep about ten minutes ago.” A woman’s voice says from Alfred’s right as he wakes up.

The voice belonged to Leslie Tompkins, a beautiful silver-haired mature woman with brown eyes and a modest figure fit for her age. She is also the only doctor the Batfamily regularly sees and she is the head doctor at the Thomas and Martha Wayne Memorial Clinic in Gotham’s East End. Leslie is also the woman Alfred has also been dating since her return to the states for Bruce’s wedding, which also brought back the young Miss Brown. Leslie was sitting in a chair to Alfred’s right nursing a cup of what he knew was black coffee and reading a book on her kindle paperwhite.

“Good morning Dr. Leslie,” Alfred says with his mall smile as he looks around the room and his small gets a bit bigger at what he sees around the room. the first thing he sees is Master Timothy was on the floor a pillow under his head with Miss Stephine cuddled up to him on his right side using him as a pillow. Despite being a bit groggy still from the anesthetic the eagle-eyed butler noticed that the boy had his arm wrapped protectively around the girl and the two are covered by a blanket.

Continuing his survey of the room Alfred next sees in sitting a pair of chairs next to Miss Barbara’s wheelchair was Master Richard, with Babs drooling on his right shoulder, however, there was also a young girl in the chair next to Dicks. The girl is a short lovely almost seventeen-year-old Asian American with black hair, she is dressed in a Wonder Woman t-shirt and blue jeans. She is also resting her head on Richards's left shoulder and the young man has his arms protectively wrapped around his new wife and his adopted little sister. The girl is Cassandra Wayne, the adoptive daughter of Bruce Wayne and the only one of his three non-biological children to take the man’s last name. All three of the youngsters are covered by a blanket.

The fact that Richard both held Cassandra and was letting her rest her head on his shoulder surprised Alfred as a rift had formed between the young woman and Richard after a nasty incident involving Slade Wilson and the girl’s detestable biological father David Cain. As far as Alfred knew Cassandra’s biological father was still in the hospital ward at Blackgate in a coma after the beating Jade Canary gave him.

Alfred did not expect Miss Cassandra to be here as the girl was having a mother-daughter weekend with her biological mother, Sandra Wu-San a woman formerly known as Lady Shiva who is now going by Jade Canary, who is also an active member of Barbara’s BOP team. Sandra is the last woman one would expect to develop a maternal side, yet after meeting her twelve-year-old daughter and the scars she got from the training David put the girl threw on to of losing a fight to to to Black Canary, the woman did just that. Thanks to Sandra’s desire to be a good influence on her daughter and show her that redemption is posable so Sandra has remained on the side of the angles for the last five years and has been working with BOP well trusting the girl’s adoptive father to mostly care of the girl aside form a monthly mother-daughter weekend the two never missed and until now they have never cut it short. As Alfred completes his survey of the room, he notices two people are missing.

“Were are Miss Bertinelli and Master Jason?” Alfred quietly asks Leslie.

“Day here Grans-paws.” Alfred hears a young girl's voice say from the doorway to the room and he turns to look. There he sees Miss Helena Bertinelli with her arm around one of Jason and in the man’s arms… Alfred’s smile grows at the sight of the two-year-old Jason is holding in his arms.

For Jason is holding the Little Miss, Helena Wayne the daughter of Bruce and Selina Wayne. She has her short black hair falling to her chin and her lovely green eyes sparkling with happiness at seeing the man she affectionately calls Grans-Paws as she did not get to see the man enough.

“Hush, Little Miss your uncles and aunts are sleeping so we need to be quiet,” Alfred says with a smile and gives a small laugh as the little girl brings her finger to her lips and gives a shush.

Well, they visit the girl often, shortly after Helena was born some unknown threat scared Bruce and Selina enough to send the girl away. At this time Helena is currently being raised by Tim Fox, Lucius Foxes eldest son, and a former marine. Taking care of the young Helena was also good for the man and it helped him exercise the demons that have been haunting him. The fact that Bruce and Selina trusted him with their daughter also helped Tim a lot in that regard. Well, Helena is still chubby with baby fat It was already clear to Alfred the Little Miss would be a looker who would strongly Selina Wayne when she was fully grown. However, Alfred could also make out features that would resemble the late Martha Kane Wayne in the girl's nose and jawline…All and all the Little Miss is going to be a stunner like her mother as an adult… and with just who the girl father is much less the rest of the family… Alfred pitied any boy who will try to court the Little Miss.

“The demon’s brat is also here and cranky from jet lag,” Jason says as he and Helena step into the room.

“You are lucky my little sister is here, or I would tear into you Todd.” A young boy of twelve says as he steps into the room looking like a grumpy cat.

“Hello Master Damian, it’s good to see you again, how is your mother?” Alfred asks politely happy to see Bruce’s eldest biological child yet not caring about his mother.

“Still plotting. Are you well Pennyworth?” Damián asks showing genuine concern for the old butler.

Damian Wayne is Bruce Wayne’s twelve-year-old biological son and is almost the spitting image of the man at the boy's age with green eyes and some softer features inherited from the boy's mother Talia al Ghul. He stands at four feet tall and his black hair is spiked up as his father normally does.

“ Yes are you wells Grand-Paws?” the little miss asks with concern marring her features.

“I was sick Little Miss, however, I am better now. So yes Master Damián I am well.” Alfred says letting his happiness shine through for a change.

“You know Jason, Helena, you two look like Little Helena’s parents and it’s a look that suits the two of you,” Leslie says with a teasing smirk, her words calling the two adults to blush scarlet and start sputtering.

Outside Bruce and Selina’s room…

A tall male nurse dressed in pink hospital scrubs had been politely waiting for the last twenty minutes for the couple to finish what sounded like an important conversation. The Nurse was a tall man standing six foot five inches tall, with brown hair yet he is very thin with a very pale complexion. The man was frowning and the look in his red eyes said he was heartbroken. That is when he heard the screams of pain.

He rushed in only he could hurt the bat as much as that pained scream suggests. He sees the bat and his cat screaming in pain, with blood pouring from their ears, nose, and eyes. That is no way for these two to die, they would die laughing or they would not die at all. However, they would not die by his hand until their brat was thirteen, a little promise he made to himself, and he was a man of his word. So, if he could not kill them for another eleven years they were not dying for another eleven years.

That is when The Nurse noticed he sees the glowing pink power coin on Bruce's bed, The Bat must have dropped it. He notices the coin had Aphrodite as depicted in Venus’s Arrival, and knows the Bat loves the Cat just a bit more than he loves his bestest friend, so in a leap of logic only this man was capable of he grabs the coin puts it between the BatCat’s hands and wraps there hands in lovers hold. The pair instantly stop screaming and they are enveloped from head to toe in a light pink glow that shoots of hearts. The Nurse wonders if anyone else can see the glow or if it was just him, as he is off his meds…not that they worked for him anyway.

Knowing something up and blood was suspicious… or was it… yes it was, so The Nurse goes to the bathroom and thoroughly washes his hands to disinfect them, as these two just had surgery they did not need to catch anything from him that may complicate there recover or kill them as they still had eleven years left to live. The Nurse then grabs a few towels well filling a bucket with hot water and antibacterial soap. Once the bucket is full he walks back into the room and begins to lovingly clean the lovely parents of Helena Wayne of the blood they had been carelessly discarding, did they not know blood was important when it came to living, and they had eleven years left to live. He thought these two were supposed to be smart yet they were letting themselves bleed all over the place.

As The Nurse was cleaning them of blood he was enjoying the electric jolts the pink aura is giving him as which were going go right to his brain, like electroshock…he planned to head to Arkham so he could have his brain thoroughly flossed later. That is after he finished the talk he needed to have with Brucie. The Nurse was hearing things through the grapevine that just could not be true and he needed to hear it from the man himself as only then would he believe them. Once finished He pulls up a chair on Bruce’s left side, where he belonged, and begins watching the pretty pink glow heart aura well he waits. The nurse manages to keep his laughter to simple giggling every time he pokes it, and he gets a nice jolt. The hand that he uses to poke the pink aura is a pale sickly white, a color that is simply known as Joker white.

To be continued


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth of what was done to batman and Catwoman is revealed.  
> Note: this is the first chapter of any story I have written I used Grammarly premium on.

The Astro Plane

Appearing in front of Bruce and Selina is a rugged but handsome blond-haired blue-eyed man standing five foot eleven inches tall, wearing a tan trench coat, white button-up shirt, black slacks, black belt, and a pair of high top tennis shoes. The man had a light coating of stubble on a face that just made you want to punch him in it. The pair recognized him with ease as the off-and-on boyfriend of their mutual friend Zatanna.

"Constantine." Bruce and Selina growled as Selina tried to kick him in the balls.

"Well, hello batsy, catsy, I am here as a recording to explain how this charm works. Suppose the two of you are soulmates, which you are. In that case, the magic in the charm will restore all erased or altered memories the two of you have and prevent memory erasure and overwrite from ever happening again, be it technological, magical, or telepathic. You will start by viewing the oldest memories that have been manipulated and go from there. Now, given the charm draws on the most powerful Greek gods in the form of Aphrodite, it will never be possible to break its protection thanks to the word Aphrodisiac. However, you will be sharing the memories, and Z has added her memories to fill in some gaps in the knowledge restored to you. Now our show begins thirteen years ago on the Watchtower on the night of a battle against Hector Hammond." The recording of Constantine says with a smile as he lit up a cigarette.

Thirteen years ago, on the Watchtower

Batman has received a minor injury early in the battle against Hector Hammond, nothing critical, just a nasty cut to the thigh that required stitches. Given the fight with Hammond is going fine, Catwoman would be at the Watchtower in twenty minutes to report in on The Secret Society of Super-Villains. Batman did not want to keep the woman he was deeply in love with waiting, and that cold thing was happening in his gut.

The sensation has kept him alive for the last three years. Despite being a man of science, Batman never ignored the sensation, so he decided to leave the fight early for a change and give Sue Dibny some company. He decided to head to the med room through the main room as he knew Sue liked to look at the stars from there. He began reminiscing as he took the short walk to the room.

Batman knew Catwoman did not need his protection as she could handle the SSofSV, but He hated that she was acting as a spy for the League. However, he was glad she was working as a spy as she was getting them valuable information. So Batman was thankful that Superman asked him to see if The Cat would be their spy as it got them together. By now, Batman has known Catwoman for almost three years; as he first met The Cat in a street fight the night, he decided to become a bat. However, he had known Catwoman is Selina Kyle for only a year after asking her to spy on the SSofSV. The pair had started dating in civilian life without knowing their alter egos, and Batman had never actually looked all that hard into who Catwoman is.

Batman has been strongly attracted to The Feline Fatal since he met her, who is a thief, a rouge, and a great fighter. He had discovered from talking with the working girls of the East End that The Cat was looking out for them, and none of them would give him any information on her. That was enough to keep him from looking into her too hard. He learned Catwoman is Selina Kyle because he had revealed who Batman was. To show that he trusted her when he asked her to spy on the SSofSV, she then unmasked herself, kissed him, and agreed. Batman has just taken a young boy in as a ward, a boy who just went through a tragedy similar to his own and was also planning on asking Selina to move in with him, hell he would do it tonight.

Batman entered the main room and found Dr. Light in the middle of Violating Sue; not making a sound, Batman broke into a run; he grabbed Light with one arm and pulled him off Sue slamming him into a wall cracking several of the man's ribs. Dr. Light gave Batman a cruel smile, opened his mouth, and said the wrong thing to the wrong man.

"I see I finally found your weakness. I'll find this woman again and finish what you interrupted. I will then find the other woman you and the rest of the League care about and do to them what I did to…" Dr. Light starts to say cruel intentions written all over his face when Batman interrupts his monolog.

"No, you won't even remember what you did today…" Batman says in a clam manner of fact voice. The man's continence had darkened, his intensity ramped up, his grip on the front of Light tightened, and the look on the man's face darkened as his suits cowled white eyes narrowed.

The shift Batman went through, combined with the calm voice he delivered his threat, unnerved Dr. Arthur Light. However, he is not worried; he was already readying to teleport out of the tower with his message stated. It would fully drain his suit, but it would get him out of there; he just needed a few more moments. That's when Batman reached down and, using pure brute strength, ripped off Dr. Lights belt and threw it across the room; the belt held the power source for his suit. In a few years, Arthur would have internalized the abilities given to him by his suit, making it, so he no longer needed it to use the powers it granted.

However, that was a long way off. Arthur knew Batman's reputation knew he would follow through with his threat, and that is when Dr. Light lost control of his bladder. Batman then calmly reached up and broke the man's right shoulder; this is just the start of what would later come to be known as a Joker Beating.

Batman then proceeded to break more bones in Arthur Lights body, avoiding the upper ribs. Knowing the man could no longer struggle, Batman slams him to the floor and sits on the man's chest. With his knowledge of the brain, Batman knew it was theoretically possible to beat this monster in a manner that would cause him to forget what happened today. However, it would take patients and time if he did not want to kill the man.

Batman just started working on Lights skull; when The Flash came in, he needed to finish with Dr. light as he would never allow Light to harm and violate Selina; he would not let his colleagues **stop** him. Sensing air displacement that indicates The Flash's approach, Batman turned and punched The Flash in the face holding little back knocking the man out. That's when Superman came in, and Batman thankfully had a small amount of Kryptonite on him. Just in case Hammond took control of the man of steel, he lets Superman grab him then began exposing the man to Kryptonite before delivering several nerve strikes to the man of steel, dropping him and setting the Kryptonite under him.

Wonder Woman came in next Batman managed to get her arms behind her and bind her with a bit of line, causing her to lose her powers, a nerve strike later, and she would be out for a bit. He avoided the strike from Hawkman as he caught the stun arrow sent at him and slammed it into the Thanagarian. He could regret it later, however hearing the telltale click of his friend's voice as she was about to unleash her cry, Batman did not hold back and punched Black Canary in the head with a devastating punch. The blow knocked her out, and at the same time, he threw a Batarang at Green Arrow, timing it so that he managed to cut through the man's bowstring as Green Arrow watched his girlfriend fall, allowing Batman to cut the man's bowstring.

Seeing Zatanna, he covers the woman's mouth, delivers a strike to the right parts of her jaw to paralyze it for the next ten minutes. Then did a backflip avoiding the Atom's strike well also reaching and removing the man's belt before another nerve strike took him down. Green Lantern tried to capture him as he entered, but Batman was already on him. Removing the ring from his finger, Batman delivered another nerve strike to the man taking him out of the fight. Batman then saw Green Arrow charged him, ready to run him through with a regular arrow; Batman evaded the man and delivered one last nerve strike; one leaguer is left standing.

"Ralph, get Sue to the hospital," Batman says as he went to Superman, grabbed the piece of Kryptonite, and replaced the piece into a pouch on his belt. Any more exposure to the substance risked Clark's life, and Batman would have just enough time to finish what needed to be done. Batman turned his attention back to Dr. Light, who desperately managed to crawl halfway to the door, hoping to reach the teleporter; the villain whimpers as Batman approaches him.

Ralph Dibley, the Elongated-man, noticed his wife's condition when he entered the room and did not bother to stop Batman. He just picked up Sue and left. Batman went back to work on Lights skull, managing to get the right amount of damage he calculated needed to be delivered. So the deed is done by the time Zatanna freed Wonder Woman, allowing her healing factor to remove the nerve strike effects, and wonder woman knocked Batman out.

Five minutes later, all but Black Canary have recovered from Batman's assault.

"Zatanna, you need to alter Bruce's memories. He cannot know he can take down the entire Justice League, and we also need to alter him some so he can't pose a threat. We got lucky that wonder woman stopped him before he killed Light. If he should ever fall and start killing, we will not be able to take him down. We also need to alter Dr. Lights' memory, so he does not know what happened eather." Green Arrow says, using false calm as he cradled Black Canary, she was not returning to her senses, and smelling salts did not rouse her. Oliver would make sure the bat could not hurt her again, and then he would get her to a hospital.

"No, I won't do it," Zatanna states Bruce was a brother to her.

"Then we kill him; he is too much of a threat." Oliver counters picking up the arrow he tried to run the bat through. Hawkman knew Oliver would go through with the statement as he had seen him try to run Batman through. He fainted unconscious after catching a glimpse of Sue's condition instead of stopping Batman. Green Arrow, real name Oliver Queen, is a handsome, well-built blond man standing five foot ten inches tall, with a goatee. He is dressed as Robin Hood.

"Let's put it to a vote. If the vote is tied, we leave Bruce alone, and I vote no." Hawkman, real name Carter Hall says with a frown hoping to prevent Batman from being altered. Hawkman stands at six-foot-one inch tall, has a broad, muscular figure. He is dressed in a gold harness hawk-shaped helmet, green pants with gold boots. However, his most prominent feature is the hawk-like wings sprouting from his back.

Hawkman knew the Leauge needed Batman as a check on them as he was their moral compass and was the man who could make the hardest decisions. The rest of the League nodded in agreement and began to vote.

"Yes." That is all Green Arrow says as he looks down and lovingly moved a bit of Black Canary's blond hair behind her ear.

"I vote no," Zatanna says, she already hated herself after erasing the memories of several members of the SSofSV, and her inexperience had caused her to put several of them into a coma.

"I vote yes," Hal says; Bruce's will allowed him to remove the ring from his finger that put his willpower on the level of the Guardians. He shuddered to think what would happen if he fell and used a ring. Green Lantern, real name Hal Jordan, is a handsome man, standing is six feet tall with brown hair. He is wearing a green and black bodysuit with a stylized lantern on the chest and a green domino mask protecting his identity.

"I vote no" Wonder Woman, real name Diana of Themyscira, stated she would not betray a friend. Wonder Woman is a tall woman standing six feet tall with black hair and blue eyes. Her body is perfect with large breasts, a wasp waist, large hips, rear, and long legs. She is wearing an armored bustier with two stylish w around her chest, star-spangled booty shorts, wrist gantlets, calf-high, high heeled red, and white boots.

"I vote yes. Batman is too dangerous." The Atom, real name Ray Palmer says after thinking about it. The Atom is a six-foot-tall man in a red and blue bodysuit.

"I vote yes," The Flash, Real name Berry Allen says regretfully, Bruce was a friend, but he took the League down like it was nothing. The Flash is a lean six-foot-tall man in a red bodysuit with a lighting bolt on his chest and lightning bolt-shaped horns on his cowl. There is only one vote left.

"Yes." Superman, real name Clark Kent, said his voice tinged with sadness, and he is looking away from everyone. Bruce had become Clark's best friend in the two years they had known each other. However, Oliver was right. Batman was too dangerous. Superman is a man standing six foot three inches tall, with black hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a red and blue with a stylish S-symbol in a triangle-like box on his chest.

Zatanna and Wonder Woman stared at Superman in shock. Bruce is the man's best friend, and he was willing to violate the man's mind. They knew Oliver would kill Bruce if Zatanna refused again, so the young woman walked over to Batman and kneeled, cradling the man's head in her lap. She put her hands on his temples and began to concentrate. Zatanna would first need to enter Bruce's mind before casting the spell to alter his memories. Even for someone as powerful as Zatanna's, this would take time as Bruce has the most powerful mental shields she ever felt. That's when Green Arrow is kicked away from Black Canary by a new player, who promptly snatched up the woman up and put four-razor-sharp claws to her throat.

"Zatanna, Whatever the fuck you're doing to Batman, stop and step away from him, or I empty Black Canary," Catwoman says with a glare as she nicks canary's throat to show she was not joking. That's when The Flash intervened, managing to the fingers of the hand Catwoman was holding at black canary's throat and as green arrow used a stun arrow to nock the woman out.

"We alter this criminal's mind too. No new vote." Oliver states with no emotion in his voice, she threatened the woman he loved, she would pay for it. He went back to Black Canary and once again took her in his arms.

"Agreed," Superman says. He did not know that Catwoman was also Selina Kyle, Nore did he know what she meant to Bruce Wayne. Yet his agreement with Oliver prevented any arguments.

" **No,** we put it to a vote. I vote no." Wonder woman says with a glare.

"So do I," Zatanna says as she steps away from Bruce and up to Wonder Woman. Both women knew who Catwoman is and what she meant to Bruce. Both women knew messing with love was taboo. It's why love potions never lasted long, as the spell would not hold forever. Both women also knew the men would agree with Superman.

Zatanna started with Dr. Light; thanks to the damage Bruce did to the man, she did not have to alter anything. She just had to implant a false memory of the night in case he managed to remember anything. One day he would remember the false memory. The Znatana barely fought back her tears as she carefully altered both of her friend's memories. She also time delayed the effect that would slow down Batman's mind, giving Alfred would know something was wrong an excuse. She made it so. Eventually, Bruce would have a constant light headache that painkillers would not affect. Zatanna just hoped they would forgive her one day after they find out what she did.

When she finished, Zatanna magically changed herself into her civilian clothes and teleported herself out of the satellite. Black canary would be in a coma for a week and would not remember what happened to her. Green Arrow would lie to her and say she was knocked out in the fight with Hector Hammond and gave her the made-up cover for what happened to Sue.

A month later, Dr. light would wake up in a full-body cast in Belle Reve Prison to divorce papers, a two-month memory gap, personality changes, and unable to remember his middle name. Batman and Catwoman would not remember they know each other's secret identities. Selina Kyle would break up with Bruce Wayne for the first time two months later, and this was the trigger for Bruce would start having headaches.

The same day John Constantine's flat, London England…

"It better be bloody Armageddon if you're waking me at 1 AM," John growled. He had a brutal fight with the forces of darkness. John was actually sober for a change and was not being plagued by nightmares, so he was quite upset with being woken up from a peaceful night's rest. Storming to his door dressed in his Union Jack pajamas, he threw open the door to his apartment, ready to curse, then punch out whoever it was pounding on his door. John's stared in shock at the woman in front of him.

The woman stood at five feet seven inches tall with blue eyes and black hair in a betty page haircut. Her body is well proportioned and well-shaped; it is something befitting a goddess. The woman is wearing jeans, a black mucus membrane t-shirt, and a pair of high heels. Well, John deeply loved this woman before him; he also just had a very, very messy breakup with her two months ago.

The breakup involved most of his clothing being set on fire, a slap in the face, followed by himself being set on fire, then hard kick to the ballocks…all and all, John felt he got off easy as despite doing it to save the world John still caused the woman to watch as her father burned to death in hellfire. So literally, the last person on Earth John expected to see pounding on his door at 1 AM was in front of him, a clearly upset Zatanna Zatara.

Shocked, John could not stop Zatanna from forcing her way into his apartment. However, he did come to his senses and begin falling her as she made a beeline for his bathroom. John noticed she was looking a bit green. Well, he was a bastard; he still held back Zatanna's long hair as she emptied her stomach into his toilet. When she finished vomiting up her stomach contents, Zatanna threw herself at John and started crying into his shoulder, babbling something about doing something unforgivable. John knows a lot about doing unforgivable things, so he just held her as she cried on his shoulder. he would get the story from her the next day.

Two years and six months ago, the Hall of Justice

Sitting in the Hall of Justice's meeting room is Green Arrow, Zatanna, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary, The Atom, Plastic-man, and Vixen.

Vixen, real name Mari Jiwe McCabe is a beautiful African American woman with short brown hair and amber eyes. She is five foot nine inches tall and has large breasts thin waist, large rear, and long flowing legs. She garbed in a tight tan tang top that exposed a generous amount of her substantial cleavage, long tan gloves that went to her shoulders, a pair of matching tan pants, and a pair of tan thigh high, high heeled boots. Except for Zatanna and Wonder Woman, these nine people are the Justice League's current governing board.

Black Canary, real name Dinah Laurel Lance Queen, is a short black-haired woman standing at five foot four inches tall with blue eyes. She has modest-sized breasts, a well-shaped butt, long muscular legs. She is wearing a 1blond wig, black domino mask, leather jacket, black Kevlar and leather bustier, black gloves, black leather short shorts, fishnet stockings, and black combat boots.

"I called this meeting because Bruce and Selina Wayne, aka Batman and Catwoman, both remember what we did to them ten years ago. Worse, he is no longer hampered by the spell and has quite the League. He views us as criminals now, and you know he will come after us at some point, and since we can't monitor him anymore, we will not know when he will start coming for us. After what happened a few years ago when his protocols were leaked and used against the League, I would say we did the right thing ten years ago. We need to put the leash back on him." Oliver Queen says with a glare.

Bruce did not deserve happiness after what he did to his wife Dinah ten years ago, and now he was married to Catwoman with a child on the way. No, they were once again putting the magical leash on the bat.

"It won't work. I would need the Scepter of Domination and the Lasso of Truth to cast the spell this time as Bruce and Selina are soulmates, which is why the spell broke in the first place. It's taboo to use magic to keep soulmates apart, and it's taboo to use magic to effect love." Zatanna states with a glare at Oliver. She is wearing a black overcoat, white button-up, black booty shorts, fishnet stockings, high heels.

"That's why you and Diana were allowed to come to the meeting despite no longer being a member of the Justice League," Oliver says as he sets a stone Scepter on the table.

The Scepter is beautiful with four female angles holding up an orb and well kneeling its handle; both have runic scrips of a dead and forgotten language carved into them. Zatanna felt sick at the sight of the object. She could sense the dark evil revolting magic contained in the horrid yet beautiful thing, and she knew it is the genuine article.

"Where did you find that monstrous object," Zatanna says with disdain as she stands up and takes a few steps away from the object.

"Given Zatanna's reaction, I am sure you can see we have the genuine item. The fact that Batman's protocols to take down the League alone makes him dangerous enough to warrant once again putting the magical leash back on, given Catwoman being his soulmate, could once again free him from it. We need to put her on a leash and keep them away from each other as well. I will also remind you, Arthur, that Batman's protocols almost killed you." Oliver states with a tone that leaves no room for argument.

" As a telepath and a king, I am completely disgusted at the idea of forcibly altering a person's mind. I am appalled at the League that has done it in the past. How would you even get close to him? He will be on his guard, and so will she." Aquaman, king of Atlantis, states with a glare. Aquaman stands at six foot four inches tall. He is a broadly built man with blond hair and blue eyes. His real name is Arthur Curry, and He is dressed in a gold scale male shirt, green fined gloves, green pants, and green boots.

"Catwoman is three months pregnant; when she has given birth Batman will not be on guard, we act then. Enough arguing, I say we put it to a vote." Oliver says as a matter of fact. He does not notice that his wife is looking at him with discussed on her face.

"I second." Kyle Rayner, the current Green Lantern and a victim of the protocols which blinded him for two days states with a grim look. Like Oliver, Kyle stands at five foot eleven. He has brown hair and is rather handsome. He wears a similar costume to his predecessor, just with a more stylish mask.

"I third." Wally West, the current Flash says, Batman's vibrating bullet caused him to have a seizure for a full day. It was only thanks to his healing factor that Wally did not have brain damage from the experience. Like his predecessor, Wally is a lean six-foot-tall man dressed in the same suit as the prior Flash.

"Before we vote, I say as I am the one who would have to do it, that we put it to a second vote in six months," Zatanna says with a glare. She knew Oliver has wanted to kill Bruce since he put Dinah in a weeklong coma. Zatana and Diana knew from the late Sue Dibley why Batman took them out ten years ago and was glad he did it as Dr. light would have… Zatanna did not want to think about it.

"I second the motion." Wonder woman states as she stands up and puts a hand on the younger woman's shoulder as a sign of her support.

"I third the motion," Vixen says after putting a hand on Dinah's lap to prevent her from speaking up against her husband.

"Agreed as long as we have the add-on that none of us can quit if the verdict is yes, nor can we speak of this until after the deed is done." Oliver states.

"I second," Wally states this time.

"I third," Kyle states firmly.

"Then we vote. I vote yes." Oliver states firmly.

"Yes," Wally states.

"No," Arthur states, glaring at Oliver.

Arthur was a member of the Justice League's incarnation that had Batman's protocols used against them. Yet, he understood why Bruce had them and respected the man for having the determination to develop them incase the League ever went too far. Given the discussion at hand, and the vote going on, Arthur felt the League already had gone too far.

"No," Diana states firmly.

"Yes," Kyle says grimly.

"No," Zatanna states with hatred directed at Oliver.

"Yes," Atom says.

"Yes," Plastic man says with venom in his voice. Plastic man, real name Patrick O'Brian Is a six-foot-tall man wearing goggles, a red long sleeve top that laced together at the chest, and very short red shorts a yellow striped belt. His outfit and goggles were permanently fixed to him after the accident that gave him his powers. He also was the one who came closest to death after Batman's protocols were used against the League.

"No," Vixen states, appalled they were even discussing this. Her powers came from magic, and she knew it was an abuse to use in any form to affect love. Karma would be paying back Oliver for even suggesting it.

"No," Dinah says, firmly glaring at her husband. Karma was speaking.

And history repeated itself with Superman given the deciding vote. Zatanna and Diana both shivered, looking at the man and remembering how he voted last time.

"Yes. Batman would want us to prevent him from becoming a killer, and had Diana not talked him down six months ago, he would have killed. He is too big of a threat to the League." Superman voting to hamper his friend shocks Mari and Dinha, as Clark thought it was the right decision once again.

Those who said no wished J'onn J'onzz was around, as he would have been able to stop this cold, yet J'onn was in a coma, healing from losing most of his body mass to fire during the last crisis. For this reason, Plastic man was temporarily serving in his place on the board.

The vote would be the same when Selina Wayne went into labor. And Zatanna would once again show up in the middle of the night at John Constantine's apartment, throw up and cry her heart out. She would do it again because she already had a way in through the door Zatanna had created the first time, and Zatanna would do it because she could do it in such a way that Bruce and Selina would still have time together with their daughter.

However, this time Zatanna had a plan, as she spent the five months searching for The Charm of Soulmates and programed Batman to ask John Constantine to find the charm. She knew the man would eventually use it. However, unlike last time Zatanna would also stay with John, and then the pair would start dating again.

Dinah would use her cry to destroy the Scepter after the deed was done, and the next day, she served Oliver with divorce papers. Vixen, Aquaman, and Black Canary would also resign from the Justice League.

The Astro plane Present

"Look, Bruce, Selina, I am the one who added Z's memories to this charm, so you would both know why she did it a second time. She planned to destroy the Scepter and teleport out of there during the gathering to cast the second vote. However, a month later, Dinah discovered that Oliver bought the right tech to build a device to alter your minds if Zatanna refused to do it. Given Oliver wants to kill you, Bruce, I do not think that machine was safe. Dinah found the device and destroyed it. However, she found it the day after Selina gave birth. Dinah also served the rotter with divorce papers that same day. With the threat of the device, Z felt she had no choice but to do it.

Bruce Z also programmed you to seek out the charm and programed you both in such a way that you would spend time with your daughter together after 'giving her up' to Tim Fox. Her spell allowed you to have your true memories of when you spent time with your daughter. However, once you left, the false memories would take over. Knowing your pasts, Zatanna did not want to deprive Helena of time with her loving parents, and the two of you have often been visiting before you went on patrol. You two also spent a lot of time with the little one on the weekends. Once this message has played, you two will regain those memories.

Please, I know I am a rotten bastard with no right to ask this, but please leave Z out of whatever vengeance your family will rain down on the League. Finally, well, the two of you took your walk down true memory lane an hour has gone by in the real world." The recording of John Constantine tells them with a frown.

The pair smile as they learn about their daughter, watching her grow up, learning everything they forgot about her.

To be continued

1: Black Canary originally wore a blond wig and a domino, then just dyed her hair blond and stopped wearing the mask. In this universe, she continued wearing the mask and wig.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter well dark was something I have been wanting to write since I read identity crisis. as I always wondered what would have happened had Batman been the one to catch Dr. Light.


End file.
